


when adora's away

by elysianrogue (l_ecrivain)



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora (She-Ra) is a Dork, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Glimmer Needs a Hug (She-Ra), Multi, One Shot, POV Adora (She-Ra), POV Catra (She-Ra), i forget who its by, the fic didn't go as planned, there's only one bed, very very vaguely inspired by the song 18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:21:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25887997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/l_ecrivain/pseuds/elysianrogue
Summary: Glimmer shows up at Adora and Catra's apartment late at night after a fight with her mom, soaked to the bone from the rain outside. Catra, who has the place to herself until Adora returns the next morning, finds herself inviting Glimmer in because "that's what Adora would do"She didn't realize she'd have to actually think about what she was doing.
Relationships: Adora/Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 160
Collections: Glitradora, She-ra and the princesses of power





	when adora's away

The TV hummed quietly in the background as Catra moved around the kitchen of her and Adora's tiny one-bedroom apartment, putting dishes away and wiping down the counters.

It was late. 

Nearly one in the morning to be exact. And it was raining. Catra could see the water running down the windows and hear the droplets pounding on the wall and ground. She sighed. She hated the rain. It was cold and wet and made her feel sticky. Especially in the summer.

She glanced around the apartment, looking for something else to do. She hoped Adora would be back early tomorrow. She hated having the apartment empty, leaving her alone. She especially hated sleeping alone.

Three nights. It really wasn't that long. But she was always antsy by the last night.

She hugged herself, tangling her claws into the soft red fabric of the hoodie she was wearing. It was Adora's. She sighed, zeroing in on the TV.

An old cartoon series was playing on the screen. She couldn't remember the name. She never liked it anyway. Adora was the one who liked cartoons. The thought made Catra's chest ache.

She couldn't even be left alone for three days without wallowing. She missed Adora.

Adora who would kill her for leaving the TV on nearly 24 hours a day while she was gone.

Her ears folded back against her head and she held herself tighter. The constant noise made the apartment feel less empty. It wasn't her fault Adora had to go on a dumb trip for her class.

She padded over to the bedroom and grabbed her guitar, dragging it out into the living room. She muted the TV so she could concentrate and pulled the guitar out of its case. She settled it against herself and picked at a couple of strings absentmindedly. 

She just needed a distraction. 

_ Bang bang bang _

Catra nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the aggressive knocks at their door. Her wide eyes darted to the dark wood door, ears flattening. She untangled herself from the guitar and stood.

Who the hell was knocking on the door at one o'clock in the morning? Who the hell got into the building at one o'clock in the morning? Maybe it was one of the neighbours? But  _ why _ ? She shook the thoughts away and walked over to the door.

She peeked through the peephole and all she could see was pink. Sighing, she swung the door open wide.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Glimmer was standing outside their apartment, soaked to the bone, her pink hair plastered against her face and her makeup running down her cheeks. She had shouldered a blue duffel bag and had her hands shoved into the pocket of her purple sweater. She looked defeated and tired and...

"I got in a fight with my mom," she said quietly. "Is Adora here?"

Catra had to stop herself from sighing. Glimmer was the last person she wanted to see right now. They didn't exactly...  _ get along _ . And Adora wasn't here. Glimmer knew that. Or at least she was supposed to.

"Adora's not here, Sparkles," said Catra. "I thought she told you."

Glimmer groaned and rubbed a hand down her face. "Oh my God, I forgot." She sighed, the breath hitching in her throat. Catra prayed she wouldn't start crying.  _ Again _ , if the tracks of makeup from tears were anything to go by.

Catra didn't say anything. Glimmer shuffled awkwardly, looking extremely uncomfortable. She probably was, being soaking wet and clearly upset, Catra thought. Shoving her hand back into her pocket, Glimmer mumbled, "I guess I'll go."

She turned to leave. Catra reached out and grabbed her arm. "Wait-" 

Glimmer looked at her in confusion. "What?"

Catra yanked her hand away like she had been burned. Her tail flicked tensely. "I-" Her thoughts were racing. She couldn't just leave her stranded out here. What would Adora say? Adora would be back in the morning. Glimmer could crash here and she could go to bed and then Adora would be back by the time they woke up. It would be nothing. Less than half an hour alone with Glimmer. Not a big deal, right? Yeah, right. "Look, it's late. There's no point in going back out there in the rain. You can-," she paused. "You can crash here tonight. Adora's back in the morning anyway." 

Glimmer blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah," Catra replied sharply. "Don't make a big thing of it."

Glimmer smiled softly, the expression edging into mischief when she said, "Oh I thought you cared for a second."

Catra scoffed. "It's only because Adora would have my head if I let you go back out there like this." She stepped out of the way so Glimmer could enter the apartment.

Glimmer stepped in and slipped off her shoes, tightly gripping the strap of her duffel bag. Catra closed the door and crossed her arms, her claws digging into the red fabric once more.

"So uh," started Catra. She licked her lips. "You can use the shower if you want. I'm sure your cold and want to get out of those clothes."

Glimmer nodded gratefully.

"The towels hanging on the back of the door are all clean." Catra's gaze darted to Glimmer’s duffel bag. It was dripping onto the carpeted floor of the apartment. She wondered if Glimmer walked all the way here. That wasn't a short walk by any means. "I don't think any of those clothes are gonna be dry." She gestured to the dripping bag.

Glimmer grimaced. "I'm sure there's--"

"I can find some dry clothes for you to borrow," Catra said abruptly before tensing and shrinking back a bit. "I mean if you want."

"Oh, uh, sure," Glimmer said. "That'd be nice."

Nice.

They were never nice to each other. Catra shook off the thought and powered forward, forcing herself to move. "Yeah, you can thank me later," she said somewhat teasingly, but the tone fell flatter than she intended. "Shower's ready whenever you are. I'm gonna go find clothes."

Glimmer nodded as Catra headed for the bedroom.

Catra heard the bathroom door click shut as she yanked open a dresser drawer. She sorted through various clothes, trying to find something comfortable for Glimmer to wear. Her heart rate jumped when she heard the shower turn on.

She angrily shoved the feeling away. She was only doing this because Adora would be disappointed if she didn't. And Glimmer looked pretty pathetic standing outside their door, dripping rainwater everywhere, her bag hanging off her shoulder and her hair and makeup a mess. What else was she supposed to do? It would be inhumane to send her back out there at this time.

It's not like Glimmer expected her to invite her in without Adora.

The shock on the other girl's face almost made Catra's racing heart and irritation worth it. And maybe it would be nice to have some company... even if it wasn't her usual taste in company.

She pulled a blue university sweater out and a pair of Adora's basketball shorts. At the last minute, she grabbed a purple tank top with the words "Property of Brightmoon Football" scrawled across it.

She tossed the clothes on the bed and looked around the room. The bedroom itself was pretty simple. Neither her nor Adora were one for clutter, but the room was definitely theirs. There was a desk, a queen bed, a dresser, a small closet and a bookshelf. 

The desk was probably the messiest part of the room, its surface brimming with papers and textbooks and notebooks. Beneath the mess of paper were some pens holders, sticky notes and a drawing tablet. A calendar hung on the bulletin board hanging above the desk. The rest of the board was covered in sticky notes, some of Catra's drawings and a couple of polaroid pictures.

The dresser was pretty much cleared, only holding a few bottles of dry shampoo, cologne, perfume and hairspray. A large mirror leaned against the wall on top of the dresser. A few dry-erase notes were scattered in the corners, mostly reminders and a couple of little love notes. Catra smiled softly.

  
  


Her gaze landed on the bed. She frowned. If Adora was here, she'd offer a spot on the bed right away. Their couch was in no shape to be slept on and Adora was too nice to not offer to sleep on the floor in her own home.

Was Catra going to listen to the mini Adora in her head screaming at her to offer Glimmer the bed?

Her frown deepened. She hardly wanted to give up her bed, especially when she knew without Adora here she wouldn't get a wink of sleep anywhere else. But Glimmer had looked exhausted and upset and like she could use an easy night.

Would Glimmer even accept the offer from her?

Her thoughts strayed to an alternative. The bed was plenty big... would it kill them to share something for one night?

Yes.

Probably.

Maybe.

Catra shook her head. She'd offer Glimmer the bed and go from there. That's what Adora would do.

Her ears perked up when she heard the squeaky sound of the shower knob being turned off and the lack of running water confirmed Glimmer was done in the shower. Catra grabbed the clothes off the bed and left the room, knocking on the bathroom door next to the bedroom.

"I got some clothes for you," she said shortly. 

The lock clicked open and Glimmer opened the door a crack, peering through. Catra shoved the clothes through the gap and felt Glimmer grab them from her when her fingers brushed Catra's lightly, sending electricity shooting up the feline's arm.

"Thanks," Glimmer mumbled.

The door closed. Catra didn't move, unable to pull her gaze away from the wood door, heart pounding in her ears. She jumped back when she heard the doorknob twisting back open again.

Glimmer looked much more relaxed after her shower, but Catra could see the heaviness in her eyes and the way her lips curved into a small frown. The shorter girl shot her a weird look.

Catra brushed it off and said, "You can have the bed if you want." She wrapped her arms around herself again. "You seem like you've had a rough night and our couch is in no shape to be slept on."

Glimmer looked surprised at the offer. Catra shouldn't have been hurt by the reaction, it was exactly what you would expect from her in their situation, but it still made her chest ache. Glimmer shifted nervously. "I can sleep on the floor."

Shaking her head furiously, Catra said, "No way, princess. Bed or nothing." She dug a fang into her bottom lip, tightening her grip on her arms. "It's what Adora would want."

Glimmer's eyes softened at the mention of Adora. "Where are you gonna sleep?"

"I can handle the floor for a night."

Glimmer crossed her arms. "We both know Adora would rather neither of us sleeps on the floor. It's gross down there."

"Hey! Our apartment is plenty clean."

"Yeah, for an apartment that was built dirty."

"Shut up, Sparkles."

Glimmer licked her lips. Catra's bi-coloured eyes followed the movement. "We'll both sleep in the bed, okay? It's one night. Adora's back in the morning. We haven't killed each other yet. And I'm  _ exhausted _ ."

She looked exhausted. Catra sighed. When she had wanted company this isn't what she had in mind. "Okay," she said softly. She quietly led Glimmer into the bedroom.

Glimmer headed for the left side of the bed, the one closest to the door. She sat down and glanced at Catra who was frowning. "No, right side."

"Isn't the right side your side?"

Catra shook her head. "Not when Adora's away." It was the only explanation she gave.

Glimmer nodded and crawled over to the other side of the bed. She pulled back the comforter and quickly buried herself into it. The room fell silent.

Catra glanced down at her clothes. She needed to change. She looked over at Glimmer who had fallen still, still buried in the comforter. Pushing aside the squirmy feeling in her stomach, Catra grabbed a pair of Adora's shorts and a tank top. She quickly stripped and yanked the new clothes on, eyes darting back to Glimmer every few seconds to make sure she wasn't paying attention (the squirmy feeling hoped that she came eye to eye with familiar lavender eyes--she shoved that feeling away). She pulled the red sweater back on over the tank top and padded over to the bed.

She crawled under the blanket, carefully trying to avoid touching Glimmer in any way, shape or form. She pulled the blanket over her body and curled into herself, facing away from the other girl. She felt her tail brush against Glimmer's back and tensed.

Glimmer shifted but Catra couldn't quite tell how until her tail involuntarily brush against the soft skin of Glimmer's stomach. She tensed once more.

"Catra?"

As subtly as possible, Catra sucked in a deep breath before rolling over to face Glimmer. The movement brought them nearly nose to nose. Catra almost jumped back but instead shuffled a few inches away.

"Yeah, Sparkles?"

Catra watched as Glimmer's nose scrunched up in response to the nickname. It brought back the squirmy feeling from a few minutes prior.

"Um, thanks," Glimmer mumbled. "For this." She gestured vaguely between them and the bed. "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't let me in."

Catra licked her lips. "Yeah, well, I couldn't just leave you out there. I have a list of people who would have my head, first of whom is my girlfriend."

Glimmer giggled. "You know, you're really bad at taking credit for things."

"I'm great at taking credit for things! I take credit for pissing you off all the time."

"Good things," argued Glimmer. "You're bad at taking credit for good things."

Catra frowned. "I don't deserve credit for this. Like I said, Adora would've wanted this to happen. I'm just following the nagging little voice in my head."

"Isn't that just called your conscience?"

"No, I'm pretty sure it's just a mini version of Adora."

"Adora is your conscience."

"Adora's too dumb to be someone's conscience."

"That's so mean," laughed Glimmer.

Catra smirked. "I say it in the most loving way possible."

Glimmer continued to giggle. Catra's heart fluttered at the sound. She shoved it back down by asking, "What happened with you and your mom?"

The laughter petered off suddenly. Glimmer shrugged as best she could laying down. "I don't know. The usual stuff. Independence and school and work and just everything. She has trouble accepting that I'm not a kid anymore."

Catra nodded. "That sucks. I'm sorry."

Glimmer smiled softly. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For asking. For not being a bitch." 

Catra snorted. "I can go back to that in a second if you get too soft on me, princess."

"Shut up, it's good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Go to sleep, Glimmer," Catra said quietly.

Glimmer smiled. "No nicknames?"

"Sleep," said Catra, reaching out and poking Glimmer's cheek. "I'm too tired to deal with your soft bullshit anymore."

Catra shuffled back the few inches closer to Glimmer who watched her with quiet fascination. She opened her mouth, but Catra placed a finger against her lips. "Time for bed. Adora's back tomorrow and then she can take over handling your drama."

Glimmer snickered. "I see I have normal Catra back now."

"Shut up." Catra closed her eyes.

Glimmer settled back in beside her and sighed. Catra ignored it. She felt the other girl shiver slightly when her tail wrapped around Glimmer's ankle. That was enough to quiet her pounding heart. Enough for tonight.

Her thoughts turned to Adora as she listened to Glimmer's breaths even out into a steady rhythm. Adora would be back in the morning and then she could go back to... whatever it is that she and Glimmer are. Adora would comfort Glimmer and then tell Catra she did a great job and then they could go back to their lives and Catra could ignore whatever this feeling was that made her fur stand on end and her heart pound.

But as she slowly began to succumb to her exhaustion, she realized, with her tail secured tightly around Glimmer's ankle and her fingers brushing the other girl's gently, that ignoring it wasn't going to be an option.

_ Fuck _ .

***

Adora fumbled with her keys in her attempt to find the one that would open the apartment door. Her suitcase was leaning precariously against her as she searched, finally selecting the right one and shoving it into the lock and turning it. 

The door swung open and she practically fell into the apartment, pulling her bag with her. She closed the door behind her and slipped off her shoes. She hung up her keys on the hook by the door and glanced at her watch.

It was nearly ten o'clock in the morning. She knew Catra was probably still sleeping and relished in the idea of crawling into bed with her girlfriend after the long drive.

She left her bag and coat and various things in the living room, deciding to deal with them later, and heading for the bedroom. She stretched as she walked, trying to alleviate the stiffness that had developed from so much driving.

She stopped in her tracks when she noticed the bed, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

Glimmer was here.

And in her bed. With Catra.

The two girls were tangled in the comforter which was only covering their waists at this point. They were facing each other. Catra's tail was loosely wrapped around Glimmer's ankle and Glimmer was gripping Catra's wrist tightly. They both looked peaceful as they slept, the usual enraged or annoyed expressions they held for each other wiped away.

Adora thought the whole thing was the cutest thing she'd ever seen.

She debated taking a picture, wondering how mad they would be. Deciding it was worth it, she pulled out her phone and snapped a couple of pictures. The shutter sounded from her ringer being on and Catra's ear twitched.

Adora approached the bed and placed a gentle hand on Catra's arm. Catra's sighed and blinked a couple of times before looking up at Adora sleepily. Adora smiled.

"Hey babe," greeted Catra. "How was the trip?" 

Adora brushed back Catra's bangs and kissed her on the forehead gently. "It was good. What did you get up to last night?" She glanced at Glimmer who was still sleeping peacefully with a teasing look.

Catra tensed slightly. Adora tangled their fingers together, squeezing and said, "it's okay" before Catra could say anything.

"She got in a fight with her mom," explained Catra. "It was late. I-"

Adora nodded. "We can talk later if you want. You just woke up."

Catra looked like she wanted to continue before nodding. "That's a better idea." She rolled onto her back and pulled Adora down for a kiss. "I'm glad you're home. I missed you."

Adora pulled away with a grin. "Looks like you had company to keep your mind off me."

Catra pouted. "Fine, go back on your trip. Sparkles here is fine company."

"I'm kidding," laughed Adora. "I missed you too."

Amusement tugged at the corners of Catra's lips. "Okay good."

"Now move over I want to cuddle with my girlfriend."

"But-" 

"No buts. Move please." Adora shot her a pleading look and Catra sighed, giving in.

She shuffled over, her back moving closer to Glimmer, to let Adora have some room. Glimmer mumbled sleepily. Adora climbed into the bed and rolled onto her side to look at Catra. Glimmer sighed, settling back into the bed after the movement, and threw an arm over Catra's waist, pressing her nose into the space between her shoulder blades and humming softly. 

Catra flushed bright red. Adora giggled. Catra glared daggers at the blonde. Adora just pulled her in for a kiss.

"We can talk about  _ that _ later," Adora said teasingly. 

Catra felt like she was on fire. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Later," Adora said, pulling Catra against her and sighing into her hair, giggling when Catra's twitching ear brushed against her cheek. "It's okay. Let's go back to sleep."

Catra nodded and curled into Adora, sighing contentedly.

Adora pretended she did notice Catra's tail curl back around Glimmer's ankle. But she revelled in the warm feeling it sent rocketing through her body as she hugged Catra tighter to her and closed her eyes.


End file.
